


No More Pretences

by TigerLily



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: Coming Out, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 22:14:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5265635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/TigerLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Horatio with his lover's support decides to reveal their relationship to his team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Pretences

Horatio walked the perimeter of the crime scene doing his best to ignore Rick Stetler’s monologue concerning cops that took the law into their own hands knowing full well it was being directed at him.

This was the second run-in they had had in as many days and it was something Horatio wanted to put an end to as quickly and professionally as possible.

Stetler’s snapped, “Are you listening to me, Caine?” drew Horatio from his thoughts.

“Hanging on your every word, Rick,” Horatio murmured in reply.

“Then what did I say?”

“Something about being ahead of the curve,” Horatio replied with a smirk as he stopped fiddling with his sunglasses and slipped them into the lapel pocket of his suit jacket. “I think that’s kinda sexy.”

“Can you refrain from being cute for one moment?” Rick asked trying not to lose his temper with the redhead. Horatio had a unique way of bringing the worst out of him.

“What do you want, Rick?” Horatio asked. “I’ve got a crime scene to process.”

Rick stepped closer and pitched his voice so that only Horatio could hear him. “I want you to be careful because my boss wants somebody’s head for this and he would happily take yours.”

“I will and I’ll see you tonight,” Horatio promised and then he stepped back.

“You’re such an asshole!” Rick snarled and stormed off keeping up the pretense he and Horatio had established since they had become lovers.

“You have a good day too, Rick,” Horatio said to Stetler’s retreating back before turning his attention back to the crime scene when all he wanted to do was invite Rick to help with the case. He hated the fact that they had to lie about their relationship.

*&*&*

“Must you yank his chain, Horatio?” Caleigh softly inquired as Horatio joined her.

“Is that what I did?” Horatio smoothly countered trying to appear innocent of all wrong doing.

“Horatio,” Caleigh gently admonished.

“Sometimes,” Horatio softly sighed. “He makes it too easy.”

“You are the better man. Just act like it,” Caleigh quietly advised.

Horatio nodded instead of out right rejecting Caleigh’s advice. He was tired of hiding his relationship with Rick, but still afraid of how his team would react when they were told the truth. “So what did you find?” he asked changing the subject.

Caleigh smiled and said, “I’ll let you change the subject for now, but you’re going have to do something about Stetler.”

“I know,” Horatio agreed. “So are you going to keep me in suspense or what?”

“You are impossible,” Calleigh muttered before showing Horatio what she had discovered.

*&*&*

Rick had finished work early and was waiting for his lover by playing a few rounds of solitaire. He had gotten so engrossed in the game that he jumped when heard a knock at his office door. He quickly shut the game down and said, “Come in, Horatio.”

The door opened and Horatio stepped inside. “You over your snit?” he asked closing and locking the door behind him.

“Yes,” Rick replied with a smile. He stood up and walked around his desk. “But you’re still an asshole.”

Horatio walked up to Rick and pushed him back so that he was leaning on his desk. “Well you do bring the best out of me.”

“Do I?” Rick purred as he slipped his hands around Horatio’s waist underneath the redhead’s suit jacket and pulled him closer.

Horatio answered by dipping his head and softly kissing Rick.

*&*&*

“So when are we going to tell everybody that we aren’t enemies?” Rick inquired leaning back against Horatio’s chest as they watched the sunset.

“I guess we have to at some point,” Horatio remarked. “But, I have a feeling that Calleigh already knows.”

“I’m tempted to say I-told-you-so,” Rick said with a soft chuckle.

“Whatever,” Horatio muttered.

“You are a poor loser.”

“And, you’re going to be sleeping on the couch if you keep it up,” Horatio gently warned.

“You can’t withhold sex anymore than you could stop breathing,” Rick retorted shifting in the sand to face Horatio.

“I believe I didn’t mention withholding sex,” Horatio countered with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. “Just a relocation of your pillow and blanket.”

“You’re so clever.”

“I know.”

“And, conceited.”

“Love you, too,” Horatio softly chuckled.

*&*&*

“Let’s take this inside,” Rick suggested once the sun dipped below the horizon.

“You’ve got plans?”

“Yeah,” Rick replied as he stood up and brushed the sand from his pants.

“Oh?” Horatio asked as he let Rick pull him to his feet.

“Somebody has to make us dinner.”

“And, who is the clever one now?”

“You really want to eat my cooking after last time?”

“That could have been just an arbitration.”

“Thank you for the benefit of the doubt,” Rick said with a wry smile. “But we both know that’s not the truth.”

Horatio shrugged and led them up the beach to his condo. “Take out?” he suggested once they were inside.

“You really are determined to get out of cooking, aren’t you?”

“Just not in the mood,” Horatio admitted while pulling the take-out menus off the fridge and throwing them onto the breakfast bar. “Besides, you’ve got me curious about your plans.”

“I was thinking about a nice candle light dinner.”

“And afterwards?”

“I hadn’t got that far,” Rick admitted.

“Lacking inspiration, perhaps?” Horatio inquired as he pulled Rick into a loose embrace.

“Perhaps,” Rick murmured against Horatio’s lips before soundly kissing him.

*&*&*

“This turned out better than I expected,” Horatio said as he snagged a piece of sesame chicken from Rick’s take-out container. He hadn’t thought eating Chinese take-out in bed would be something he would try let alone consider doing again.

“You sound surprised.”

“Maybe a little bit,” Horatio admitted with a shrug. “You’re good at getting me to do things outside of my comfort zone.”

Rick rewarded Horatio’s admission with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t point that at me. It might be loaded.”

“You’re impossible,” Rick retorted with a soft laugh. Until he started dating the redhead he never knew Horatio was a closet Trekkie.

“But loveable,” Horatio reminded Rick as he tried to steal a piece of Rick’s dinner.

Rick blocked Horatio’s attempt with his chopsticks and a muttered, “Not if you keep trying to steal my dinner. You should have ordered sesame chicken if you wanted it so bad.”

“Wouldn’t have tasted as good,” Horatio explained as he returned to picking at his dinner.

“Okay,” Rick said as he set his dinner aside. He took Horatio’s and set it aside as well. “Now are you going to tell me what’s bugging you or do I have to guess?”

“Can’t I be out of sorts for no reason?”

“No.”

“Fine,” Horatio grumbled. “Calleigh kinda gave me an ultimatum.”

“And that is?”

“That I have to do something about you.”

“What do you plan on doing?”

“I’m tried of pretending that we are enemies,” Horatio explained. “I want to tell the team that we are dating, but I’m afraid how they will react to the news.”

“Horatio,” Rick began as he caught hold of Horatio’s hands. “They love you and just want you to be happy.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

“It is,” Rick said as he gave Horatio’s hands a gentle squeeze. “Quit making a mountain out of a mole hill.”

Horatio softly sighed and pulled his hands out of Rick’s grasp. He rolled off the bed and walked over to the open balcony door to stare off into the darkness. He couldn’t explain the feeling of dread that seemed to have swallowed him whole all of a sudden.

Rick got up and followed Horatio. He stood behind the redhead, but didn’t reach out to embrace the redhead. He could tell Horatio wasn’t in the mood to be comforted. “Talk to me,” he quietly requested.

“What do you want me to say?”

“Don’t go and put your walls back up,” Rick quietly demanded knowing Horatio got defensive when he felt scared. “Just help me understand what’s troubling you.”

“I’m scared,” Horatio softly admitted. “Okay, I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Scared of losing everything.”

“Just because it has happened before doesn’t mean it’s going to happen now,” Rick reasoned.

“How can you be so certain of that?”

Rick reached out and turned Horatio to face him. “Because I love you and no matter what you decide to do I will always be by your side.

Horatio looked deep into Rick’s eyes and saw that Rick was telling the truth and he felt the knot his stomach had tied itself into ease a bit. “I know I’m being foolish.”

Rick slipped his arms around Horatio’s waist and pulled the redhead into a loose embrace. “Maybe a little bit, but it’s understandable. You haven’t exactly had an easy life.”

“Yeah,” Horatio softly agreed as he rested his forehead against Rick’s.

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to stop letting fear dictate my actions,” Horatio replied as he pulled back with his lips twisted into a wry smile. “I’m going to tell the team about us.”

“Do you want me to be there when you do?”

“Will you?”

“Of course.”

“I love you,” Horatio declared.

“I love you more,” Rick countered.

“We’ll test that theory tomorrow, but right now I want to spend the rest of the evening snuggling in bed watching cheesy movies.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Rick said before pulling Horatio into a soft kiss.

Horatio smiled into the kiss knowing that although his life was about to change, it was changing for the better.


End file.
